Topic: How to Accomplish Universal Healthcare in the United States
Background
Assume that everyone in America has finally agreed that we must have universal health care in the United States within the next 3 years. You have been appointed by the President to recommend the best way to get there. Since you have studied an NHS (England), two NHIs (France and Canada) and the current US health care system, you must choose the best system to adopt for the United States from these 4 choices. (Realize that if you choose the current US system you will have to adapt it in some fashion to achieve universal coverage.)
The Assignment
Part 1: Outline the salient details of the System you have chosen and the pathway to implement it. Describe the main advantages of adopting your choice and also discuss a few of the potential major pitfalls. Provide details about where the money will come from – taxes (type), insurance premiums, personal payments, etc. (In other words, how are you going to pay for it? How will the cost of your choice compare to that of the present system?)
Part 2: Address how your choice will 1) impact payments to hospitals and doctors, 2) affect payers – insurance companies, employers and current government insurance programs, and 3) change the way patients interact with the Health Care System. No one argues against the advantages of universal coverage, so don’t spend your time defending this idea. Rather, get into some of the details about how your Plan will work and, be better for America and her people.
Logistics
Word limit: 1,000 word minimum, 2,200 word maximum, not including references
You do NOT need to follow strict APA guidelines, but you must pinpoint precisely what specifically you drew from your reference(s) to support the points you are making. In other words, you must clearly provide a link between the reference chosen and the idea you expressed within the body of your paper. The APA reference format allows for this and I want you to use it to link your reference(s) directly to your text. An example follows below.
Do NOT number pages, nor use a title page, abstract or Table of Contents. Do not use headers and footers or a running title and don’t place subtitles between sections of your paper.
The main things required of you are 1) write in complete sentences; no bullet point lists or sentence fragments. 2) Avoid an abbreviation unless you explain it to your reader the first time you use it. 3) Use proper punctuation and grammar – “Let’s eat, Grandma” and “Let’s eat Grandma” do NOT mean the same thing! Remember, you are not texting your BFF. Rather, you are writing a letter to the President of the United States – with references! 4) List your reference(s) under a “References” section at the end of the paper, alphabetized by the first author’s LAST name.
You must provide at least two (2) references in support of your paper. You may cite our textbook or any of the materials I have provided in the course. However, at least one of your references must be from a source in the literature that you have researched. You do NOT need a reference for each point you make but. provide at least two references as described above.
Examples of using references:
Suppose you wish to use the reference below to support your paper:
Jones AR, Smith DA (2017) People are Still Crazy, Yo. Harvard Business Review, April-May, pp. 9 – 26).
And here is the author’s statement from page 17 of the article that you want to reference in your post.
“People who show their undergarments in pubic are generally assumed to be unstable, at the least.”
Some options for how to present this in the text of your post would be:
A) You want to paraphrase the author’s comment but not use a direct quotation
According to Smith & Jones (2017), people who wear underwear in public are crazy. I think everyone agrees with that statement.
Many experts feel that people who choose to wear underwear out in public are unstable (Smith & Jones, 2017).
B) Suppose you wish to use a direct quote. Therefore, you must use quotation marks and give the page number where quoted words were drawn.
According to Smith and Jones, “People who show their undergarments in pubic are generally assumed to be unstable, at the least”. (2017, p.17)
In 2017, Smith & Jones proposed that “people who show their undergarments in public are generally assumed to be unstable, at the least.” (p. 17)
If you reference a webpage or internet source that doesn’t list an author, you may alphabetize the source in your list of references by the journal name (The Wall Street Journal) or website name listed (Toenails.com) Be certain to cut and paste the link into your reference so others may also find it.
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Background
Assume that everyone in America has decided that universal health care must be implemented in the next three years. The President has asked you to recommend the best route. You have examined the NHS (England), two NHIs (France and Canada), and the present US health care system. To obtain universal coverage, the current US system will have to be modified.
The Task
Part 1: Describe the System and the path to implementation. Describe the key benefits of choosing your pick and some of the major drawbacks. Indicate the source of funds – taxes (kind), insurance premiums, personal payments, etc. (How will you pay for it? How will the new system’s cost compare to the old system’s?)
Part 2: Explain how your option will effect hospital and doctor payments, payers (insurance companies, employers, and government programs), and patients’ interactions with the healthcare system. No one disputes the benefits of universal coverage, so don’t waste time defending it. Rather, explain how your plan will work and benefit America and her people.
Logistics
Minimum 1,000 words, maximum 2,200 words (excluding references)
You do not have to use following APA requirements, but you must clearly state what you pulled from your references to support your claims. In other words, you must show a clear connection between the reference and the main concept of your thesis. I want you to use the APA reference structure to link your references directly to your content. Here’s an example.
NON-USE a title page, abstract, or Table of Contents. No headers, no footers, no running titles, no subtitles between portions.
1) Write in whole sentences; no bullet lists or sentence fragments. 2) Avoid abbreviations unless you first explain them to your reader. • “Let’s eat, Grandma” and “Let’s eat, Grandma” are NOT the same thing! You’re not messaging your BFF. Not a letter to the President, but a letter with references! 4) At the end of the paper, alphabetize your references by the first author’s LAST name.
Your paper must have at least two (2) references. You may use our textbook or any of my course resources. However, at least one of your references must come from your research. You do not need to cite each point you make, but you must offer at least two sources.
Using references:
Assume you want to use this citation in your paper:
People are Still Crazy, Yo, April-May, pp. 9–26).
In addition, here is the author’s declaration from page 17 of the article.
“People who display their underwear in public are believed to be unstable.”
Some ways to express this in your post’s text include:
A) You want to paraphrase but not quote the author.
Those who do so are insane, say Smith & Jones (2017). I think everyone agrees.
Many experts believe persons who wear underwear in public are unstable (Smith & Jones, 2017).
B) Assume you want to use a quote. So you must use quotation marks and cite the page number.
Smith and Jones state that “people who reveal their underwear in public are often believed to be unstable”. (p.17)
They proposed in 2017 that “people who reveal their underwear in public are often believed to be unstable.” (17)
If a website or webpage doesn’t have an author mentioned, you can sort your references by the journal (Wall Street Journal) or website name listed (Toenails.com) Make sure to copy and paste the URL so others can find it.
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Sample Answer
Students Name School Affiliation Course Date UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE FOR THE UNITED STATES Students Name School Affiliation
The United States of America Should Have Universal Health Care
Every civilization’s growth and prosperity is heavily influenced by its ability to maintain and improve its health. Having a healthy society means being capable, productive, and having easy access to high-quality medical treatment at an affordable price. Notably, despite this, Americans continue to pay higher prices for medical care. Health-care systems in the United States (US) lag behind those in industrialized countries such as Canada. https://www.latimes.com/science/story/202020107/u-s-health-system-costs-4 times as much as Canada’s single-payer system/a> (Healy, 2020). As an example, the existing health care scheme in the United States has failed to adequately address the flaws in health, such as the wide-spread Corona outbreak. The essay proposes a universal health system as a means of addressing the irregularities (UHS). This illustration depicts the universal health care system in Canada, which is relatively practical and less expensive to operate.
The UHS is primarily designed to be cost-effective in terms of federal and state contributions in the form of money from taxes, individual payments, and health insurance plans, among other things. Experts contend that medical systems that prioritize cost-cutting over everything else by eliminating attempts to improve eligibility, welfare, and quality of care have resulted in an increase in illness among civilians. It is therefore futile to increase coverage without also reducing the rising costs of medical care https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20171109.973715/full/ (McClure and colleagues, 2017). As a result, the UHS program is focused on providing access to all Americans while also extending high-quality medical support systems at the same time.
This system includes critical health stakeholders such as medical practitioners, public health officials, social service providers, and health insurance providers who are all responsible for fostering an environment conducive to good health. In order to gather their perspective and contributions to a successful health system for all, the stakeholders are credited with increasing the wellbeing of the United States population. Their participation is critical in achieving consensus among the connected medical departments since they play a key role in the treatment of disease, the operation of health facilities, and the effective utilization of available resources. Further, the United Health Service (UHS) highlights broad approaches of health inequities among the populations in the United States. The federal government has a mission to address economic and social variables that have an impact on health through a variety of procedures such as raising the minimum wage and developing early childhood programs, among other things. https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20200928.163103/full/ Hassmiller et al., 2020). Prioritizing universal health care will increase the diversity of healthcare workers to better reflect the ethnic and racial makeup of the United States, allowing them to better serve their patients.
Additionally, the UHS aspires to bring together a diverse variety of health-related industries in a patient-friendly, one-stop-shop environment for health-related service delivery. That work to eliminate inefficient channels of delivery, promote out-patient wellness, and strengthen the mandate of the United States healthcare system to provide high-quality care. The implementation of a universal healthcare program will reshape the medical industry. Service delivery is improved by the integration of an effective physician-hospital relationship, an unified health care system, ease of access over a broad geography, high-quality management, utilization control, contractual capabilities, financial strength, and regulated financial oversight. (IRMI, 2021) (IRMI, 2021).
When it comes to financing the UHS, the study looks at the Canadian model, which has shown to be less expensive than the current US model. For example, according to experts, a patient care cover in the United States costs on average 2,497 dollars per year, which is significantly more than the Canadian system, which charges only 551 dollars per year. https://www.latimes.com/science/story/202020107/u-s-health-system-costs-4 times as much as Canada’s single-payer system/a> (Healy, 2020). Medical treatment is provided through a tightly integrated single-payer system in which the national health insurance service pays for the costs incurred through payments made by citizens in the form of taxes to the government. In comparison to the United States, the model in which members engage private insurance firms runs the danger of losing medical coverage if they fail to make contributions.
For the purpose of ensuring high-quality health care at a lower cost, the UHS supports the establishment of guidelines for substantial income-based subsidies. In which the healthy bear the financial burden of the sick, and the wealthy bear the burden of the disadvantaged. establishing a minimum contribution to the national health insurance service that is collected from the wages of employers and public employees and combining the resources to create a joint account for health coverage https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20171109.973715/full/ (McClure and colleagues, 2017). By further directing the tax expenditures from government fees charged in health facilities to cater for universal health care and cover the medical specialists, we can generate the monetary resources necessary to cover the costs of medical care for those who are out of work or who are poor in society. The federal government also provides incentives to the medical community, such as tax breaks on medical equipment, which helps to lower the overall cost of providing health services to the general public.
Furthermore, the government cannot afford to invest solely in the advancement of the health sector. There can be no doubt about the importance of spreading the costs of insurance premiums and personal health-care payments in an equitable manner. Nonetheless, in order to ensure that hospitals do not overstate the expense of treatment, the federal government and consumer protection should make estimated costing prices available and make this information available to the public as soon as possible. By providing tax relief to such institutions, it is possible to reverse the existing trend of cost increases that are a result of the quality treatment that has been promoted. Making them deliver quality treatment while the government provides incentives and compensation through the universal health system are two ways to do this.
Most of these institutions are motivated by the need to make a profit; therefore, collaborating with facilities to refer more patients and with the institution to minimize costs might offset the transition while maintaining quality because more clients will allow them to make a profit. In comparison to the existing approach, in which individuals bargain with hospitals and private insurance companies, the UHS will lower costs because the government will chip in and the insurance company will bear a portion of the cost, according to the White House.
https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20171109.973715/full/ (McClure and colleagues, 2017). Congress will develop legislation that will require private insurance companies to make minimal contributions to the UHS in order to fund the program. The similarity implies increased corporate social responsibility as well as an increase in costs for private insurance providers. The concept is a disadvantage to private insurance, but it is required in order to provide quality access to all residents, particularly those who cannot pay insurance.
Although the UHS will reduce the number of individuals who require medical attention, its implementation will cause a logistical difficulty due to the surge of patients. Because of an influx of civilians seeking medical Helpance that they cannot pay, the medical community may be overwhelmed by the situation in the future. Nonetheless, practical implementation necessitates a significant investment of financial resources to sustain infrastructures, purchase medical supplies, and establish support systems. The UHS also has a detrimental influence on the private insurance sectors since it increases the cost of insurance while decreasing the amount of money that can be earned.
Notably, the impact on individual hospitals is an increase in patient traffic, which can be extremely overwhelming at times. Doctors will benefit from the new strategy because they will be the only ones who will be covered exclusively. As a result, medical practitioners no longer have to be concerned about their patients’ diseases. Nonetheless, they will have to contend with a model in which the government and consumer protection are in charge of determining the cost of medical treatment and services. Part of the benefit of these initiatives is that they minimize the strain of doctors and hospitals, as well as the anxiety associated with not knowing whether or not the patient would be responsible for the cost of care because universal care will entail a cost. Because government intervention will be easily available, the efficiency of UHS will be increased, and the quality of healthcare will be improved. The UHS’s long-term achievement is that it has contributed to a healthier nation, which suggests that the health-care system will improve and the overall quality of life will increase over time. The life expectancy in Canada, for example, is higher than that in the United States (https://doi.org/10.5455/msm/2012/24.112-20) (Ridic, 2012).
Americans who are well-off enough to pay for other private rates will be required to contribute extra if they wish to pay for both the private and the UHS insurance. However, the benefits garnered demonstrate improved access to high-quality care for people of all socioeconomic backgrounds in the United States. Furthermore, citizens have the ability to exercise their fundamental right to high-quality health care at any medical facility. Health care costs can be adjusted and reduced by government subsidies, which enhances the quality of life and allows people to save money to spend on other essentials of life such as education. It has an impact on the fact that employed Americans will bear the financial burden of providing healthcare to the unemployed and the impoverished.
Because of the constraints in the amount of tax income that may be charged under the existing model, the government will have to make adjustments. The provision of incentives and subsidies has the effect of reducing the amount of money collected to solve the health crisis. It has a beneficial impact on the government’s ability to fulfill the constitutional obligation to provide high-quality healthcare to all citizens. As the UHS progresses, the government will be tasked with further duties, such as ensuring that the system is operational, providing the resources required, and conducting continuous monitoring and assessment to verify that the health system’s quality requirements are being met. Dealing with the economic consequences of increasing health-care access for individuals, such as the resulting need to provide employment possibilities despite lower income from the health-care sector, is critical. UHS maintains a highly productive team across all departments.
Conclusion
The report provides practical suggestions for building a feasible universal health system that provides high-quality care to all citizens of the United States of America. Tax revenues generated by the national hospital insurance system, which would act as a middleman and pay for civilian treatment, are the primary sources of financing. The UHS attempts to ensure that all people of the United States have access to medical care while also minimizing the costs incurred. Creating a partnership with the private insurance industry in order to provide a functional health system. The system confronts significant logistical challenges in implementing a nationwide comprehensive strategy, as well as significant upfront costs in establishing the mechanism. The UHS will be prominently displayed because it will provide Americans with an optional and effective method of paying for medical care.
References
Hassmiller, S. 2020. Health equity and the future of nursing, post covid-19. Health affairs https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20200928.163103/full/
IRMI, 2021. Integrated Health Care Delivery Systems’ Challenges. 2000-2021 International Risk Management Institute, Inc. (IRMI). https://www.irmi.com/articles/expert-commentary/integrated-health-care-delivery-systems-challenges
Melissa Healy. (2020). U.S. health system costs four times more to run than Canada’s single-payer system. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2020-01-07/u-s-health-system-costs-four-times-more-than-canadas-single-payer-system
Ridic, G., Gleason, S., & Ridic, O. (2012). Comparisons of health care systems in the United States, Germany and Canada. Material socio-medical, 24(2), 112–120. https://doi.org/10.5455/msm.2012.24.112-120
Walter McClure Alain C. Enthoven Tim McDonald. (2017) “How Universal Health Coverage Can Be Done Right, “ Health Affairs Blog. https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20171109.973715/full/
